Bottle-labeling machine



(No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

` P.G.H.STRASBURGER.

BOTTLE LABBLING MACHINE.

' Patented Apr. 28, 1896.

(IQModel.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. F. O. I-I. STRASBURGER. BOTTLE LABELING MAG'HINB.1

Patented Apr. 28, 1896.

I I I ll.

y UNITED STATES FRANK C. H. STRASBURGER,

PATENT EEICE.

or GREAT EALLs, MONTANA.

BOTTLE-LABELING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 559,002, dated April 28, 1896.

Application filed March 9, 1895.

.To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK O. H. STRAS- BURGEE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Great Falls, in the county of Cascade and State of Montana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bottle-La bcling Machines, of which the following is a full, clear, and eXact description, reference 'being had to the accompanying drawings,

plied to the bottles, and supplied with paste or other adhesive material in their passage from the storage-reel to the bottles.

Other objects are to enable the application by the same machine of labels varying both` in length and in width with equal facility, and to enable the application of the labels to bottles or other cylindrical articles varying in size both as to length and diameter.

These objects and such others as mayhereinafter appear are attained bythe devices illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents a perspective view of a bottle-labelin g machine embodying my invention. Fig. 2 represents a side elevation of the same, taken from the side opposite that shown in Fig. l; Fig. 3, an end elevation of the machine, and Fig. 4 is a view in detail illustrating the pawl-and-ratchet mechanism connected with one of the pinions on the lower feed-roll.

Similar letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several figures of the drawings.

Referring by letter to the accompanying drawings, A indicates a bed-plate of suitable dimensions and conguration, supported upon a suitable frame B of any desired character, or upon a table, bench, or other place affording proper support for and disposition of the bed-plate. This bed-plate is preferably rectangular in form and has movably mounted thereon a frame C, which carseriaino. 541,095. (No man.)

ries the feeding and cutting devices. This frame is guided between suitable ways D on the bed-plate and is longitudinally adjustable by means of a screw-bolt E, workin g through the bed-plate and engaging a depending lug F of the frame C, as" more clearly indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 2.

In the frame O is mounted above one another the feed-rolls G and l-I, the upper roll G being preferably the driving-roll and the lower roll H the driven roll, beneath which and supported upon the frame C is a vat l, containing paste or other adhesive material into which the roll'H dips. To the roll H, above the vat, 'is applied a doctor or scraper J of any suitable character, which is shown in the drawings as a rotatablymounted rod or roller, journaled at its ends in slots inthe frame O, in which slots are confined coiled springs K, made adjustable by the application of thumb-screws L, so that the scraper ma be 'caused to press against the roll H wit any desired degree of pressure, and thus remove from the roll the proper amount of surplus adhesive material.

Above the scraper J and secured at its ends respectively to the frame C is a rodv or bar M, which serves to guide the web or tape N,which is wound upon a reel O, loosely j ournaled in suitable bearings upon the bed-plate at one end of the machine. The labels are printed in successive order upon this continuous web or tape, the end of which is constantly held by the feed-rolls G and H, so that at each successive operation of these rolls the web is fed forward the width or length of a label, as the case may be, so as to bring the edge of the label under the cutting devices, as here-` inafter described, the paste or other adhesive material being applied to the label in its passage between the feed-rolls.

At one end and outside the frame C the feed-rolls G and H are geared together, so as to rotate in unison, by means of gears P and Q, and at the opposite end the lower roll H is provided with a pinion R, with which meshes a sector-gear S, carried by a lever T, pivoted at U to the frame Gand actuated in one di rection by a coiled spring V, attached at one end to the pivot U of the lever or to the frame C- and at its opposite end bearing against the lever T. The tension of the spring IOO normally maintains the lever in an elevated position and returns the same to an elevated position whenever depressed by hand. Hence it will be seen that whenever the lever is depressed the feed-rolls will be caused to rotate, so that their contacting surfaces move in the same direction, and hence feed the continuous web to the cutterand in position to be applied to the bottle.

An adjustable stop WV upon the frame C is located in the path of movement of the actuating-lever T, by which stop the feed of the rolls maybe adjusted and limited to the varying widths of the labels to be fed thereby at each stroke. As the lever T is instantly returned to its elevated position after each depression, in order to prevent a reverse rotation of the feed-rolls, I provide between the pinion R and the journal r of the roll H a pawl-and-ratchet connection, such as shown in Fig. 4, or any desired construction which will permit the free rotation of the pinion in one direction without affecting the journal, but which will cause the journal to rotate when turned in the opposite direction.

To the frame C, at the side of the rolls G and H, is secured a pair of cutters a and b, the former being rigidly secured with its upper edge substantially in a plane with the contacting surfaces of the rolls and parallel with the axis thereof, while the latter is pivoted at one end, as shown at c,and is caused to vibrate, so as to operate in connection with the stationary cutter like a pair of shear-blades. lVhen the endless web is passed between these blades and fed into position over the bottle, the inner edge of the uncut label will lie between these two cutters and will be severed thereby, so as to detach the label from the web, Beyond these cutters is a pair of label-afixing rollers d e, whose axes are parallel with but preferably in a plane slightly above the axis of the upper roll G. These rolls d and e are loosely mounted upon shafts or rods having a bearing either loose or fixed, according to choice, in the ends of vertical spring-arms f, of which there are two pairs, one pair for each roller, and which at their upper ends are bent toward each other, so as to have the arms proper at a sufficient distance apart for convenience in manipulating the machine and to take full advantage of the yield or spring of the arms. These arms at their lower ends are rigidly secured to a vertical movable frame or plate g, suitably guided upon the frame of the machine and actuated in any desired manner, preferably by means of a rod 71 attached to the center of the plate and having a treadle e' secured to the lower end thereof, by means of which foot-power may be employed to depress the plate, carrying down with it the label-affixing rolls. Between the plate g and a guide j upon the frame of the machine is confined a coiled spring 7c, sleeved upon the rod 7L and normally tending to hold the frame in an elevated position. The rod 7L is also connected by a rod Z with the free end of the pivoted cutter b,so that this cutter will be brought down simultaneously with but slightly in advance of the affiXing-rolls. To relieve the rod l of strain in returning the cutter l) to its normal elevated position, it may be desirable to apply to an extension m thereof a coiled spring n, the opposite end of which maybe connected to a like extension on the fixed cutter a or to the frame C, to which the blade b is directly or indirectly pivoted.

Below the label-affixing rollers is a bed o for the bottle,which preferably consists of rubber or some soft material, having a curved upper surface to receive the bottle, and secured to a plate Ap, which is adjustably mounted upon the bed-plate of the machine and operated by a screw-bolt q, working through a depending lug o' upon the plate p, as is more clearly illustrated by the dotted lines in Fig. 3. This bed is preferably provided with a shoulders, against which the bottom of the bottle will rest when the same is inserted in position to receive the label.

The operation of the machine is as follows: The bottle is first inserted in position upon the bed o,which has been previously adjusted, so that the bottle rests in proper position to receive the label at the proper point, and then the lever T is depressed so as to feed the label into position over the bottle, this action applying the paste or other adhesive material to the label and bringing it into position to be severed from the continuous web or roll. A tension device t of any suitable character is applied to the reel O to prevent too free rotation thereof. The treadle is now depressed, which causes the cutters to first sever the label from the continuous web, and immediately after the aiiiXing-rolls are brought down upon the label and press the same thereon, the rolls spreading as the pressure upon the treadle continues, thus smoothing the label perfectly on the bottle, and as soon as the afliXing-rolls pass below the axis of the bottle they are sprung together, thus completing the attachment of the label with perfect smoothness and lifting the bottle off of the bed and ejecting it from the machine, if desired, or lifting the bottle so that it may be received from on top of the rolls by hand.

Of course if the label and bottle are of such relative size that the ends of the labels will not reach beyond the horizontal line drawn through the axis of the bottle, it is not necessary to depress the afiiXing-rolls until they pass such line, so as to lift the bottle, for they may be restored to their original position before passing the center line and thus leave the bottle resting upon its bed; but as such reverse action is liable to r u mple the freshlyapplied label it is generally desirable to continue the motion until the bottle is lifted from lthe bed by the pasting-rolls.

IOO

IIO

plied thereto, and mechanism for afixing the labels on bottles, of feeding and severing mechanisms located between, and adjustable with relation to, said reel and affixin g mechanism, and a bottle-rest beneath the afiiXing mechanism, and adjustable at right angles to the feeding and severing mechanisms, subv stantially as described.

2. In a bottle-labeling machine, the combination with a reel for a continuous web, having labels printed thereon or otherwise applied thereto, mechanisms for feeding said web, for severing labels therefrom and for affiXing the severed labels on bottles, said feeding, severing and aftixing mechanisms being intermittently actuated, and means operatively connecting the severing and afiixing mechanisms, wherebya downward movement of such means causes both of the last-named mechanisms to act substantially simultaneously, substantially as described.

3. In a bottle-labeling machine, the combination with a reel for a continuous web, having labels printed thereon or otherwise applied thereto, and mechanism for affixing labels on bottles, of a frame adjustable at right angles to the aifixing mechanism, mechanisms for severing and supplying paste to the labels, an intermittently-actuated feed mech-- anism also carried by said frame and comprising a pair of rolls geared together, a pinion on the journall of one of said rolls, a sector-gear carried by a lever andV engaging said pinion, and a bed for supporting the bottle, said bed being adjustable at right angles to the feeding and severing mechanisms, substantially as shown and described.

4. In a bottle-labeling machine, the combination with a reel for a continuous web, having labels printed thereon or otherwise applied thereto, mechanism for afxing labels on bottles, of mechanisms for severing and` supplying paste to said labels, a frame adjustable at right angles to said aflixing mechanism and carrying the severing mechanism, and a feed mechanism also carried by said frame, comprising a pair of feed-rolls and means for intermittently rotating said rolls, and mechanism operatively connecting the severing and afflxing mechanisms, whereby a downward movement of such mechanism causes both the severing and the affixing mechanisms to act simultaneously, substantially as described.

5. In a bottle-labeling machine, the combination with a reel for a continuous web, having labels `printed thereon or otherwise lapplied thereto, and mechanisms for feeding and afiixing the labels, of a frame adjustable at right angles to the afixing mechanism, said frame carrying the feeding, paste-supplying and severing mechanisms and located between the reel and aflixing mechanism, and a severing mechanism consisting of a pair of cutters, one Xed and the other pivoted, and means operatively connecting the severing and afliXing mechanisms, whereby the severing mechanism and the afliXing mechanism are operated simultaneously to sever and affix the labels, substantially as described.

6. In a bottle-labeling machine, the combination with a bed for the bottle, of a pair of laterally-yielding vertically-movable affixing-rollers located above said bed, and mechanism for operating said aftiXing-rollers, said mechanism having `sufficient movement to cause the rollers to pass below the horizontal center of the bottle and affix the label on the bottle, lift said bottle, and eject the same from the machine, substantially as described.

7. In a bottle-labeling machine, the combination with an adjustable bed for the bottle, of a pair of yieldingly-supported aflixingrollers supported above said bed, and mechanism for operating said afXing-rollers, said mechanism having sufficient movement to cause the rollers to pass below the horizontal center of the bottle and affix the label on the bottle, lift the bottle, and eject the same from the machine, substantially as described.

8. In. a bottle-labeling machine, the combination with an adjustable bedfor the bottle, of a pair of yieldingly-supported axingrollers located above said bed, mechanism for operating the aftiXing-rollers, said mechanism having sufficient movement to cause the rollers to pass below the horizontal center of IOO the bottle and affix the label on the bottle,

lift said bottle, and eject the same from the machine, and means for severing the label during the movement of the afXing-rollers toward the bed, said bed being adjustable in aA direction parallel to the axes of the said rollers, substantially as described.

9; In a bottle-labeling machine, the combination with an adjustable bed for the bottle, of a vertically-movable frame, vertically-disposed spring-arms secured to said frame, a pair of aflixing-rollers loosely journaled to the upper free ends of said arms, and mechanism for operating said rollers, said mechanism having suicient movement to cause the rollers to pass below the horizontal center of the bottle and aiix the label on the bottle, lift said bottle, and eject the same from the machine, substantially as described. j

10. In abottle-labeling machine, the combination with a reel for a continuous web, having labels printed thereon or otherwise applied thereto, of an adjustable frame-carrying mechanism for feeding the labels, and mechanism for severing the same and for supplying the paste thereto, an affixing mechan- IIO ism comprising a pair of laterally-yielding vertically-movable afIiXing-rolls, and a bed for the bottle, said bed being adjustable at right angles to the feed, severing and pastesupplying mechanisms, substantially as described.

1l. In a bottle-labelin g machine, the combination with va reel for a continuous web, having labels printed thereon or otherwise applied thereto, and mechanisms for feeding and severing said web and supplyin gthe paste i `thereto and carried by an adjustable frame,

of a pair of verticaliy-movable latorallvyielding aHiXing-rollers, a bed for the bottle, said bed being adjustable at right angles to the feed, severing and paste-supplying mechanisms, and a treadle connected with and simultaneously actuating said afiiXing-rollers and severing mechanism for successively acting on the labels, substantialljT as shown and described.

F. C. II. STRASBURGER. Witnesses:

CHAs. B. l-oWEN, il. E. SHIELDs. 

